Growing up in a family of hunters, Pedro Villarte spent part of his youth catching, for leisure, wild animals that roamed the forests of Alcoy, Cebu.

Young Pedros favorite catch was the hawk owl. While he didnt hunt for food, Pedro admitted feeling an adrenaline rush every time he left the house right after sunset or just before daylight broke to catch the nocturnal creature.

But it wasnt until Pedro left his hometown for the city that he realized the value of preserving nature and how oblivious his young self was to how his hunting activities have disrupted the forest.

Lawmakers threw support to the initiative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to localize the country's biodiversity action plan and financing in Mindoro.

The Philippines is known to have a very diverse ecosystem, rich with fauna and flora. In Cebu, we have a number of animal species that are endemic to the island and are only found here. Whether you're a tourist visiting or a local wanting to know more about native animals here in Cebu, here are some species of animals that call only be found in our island.

The environment department awarded the scientists who discovered the Cebu Hawk Owl, the third endemic bird species in the province.

Biologists Lisa Paguntalan and Godfrey Jakosalem were honored last Monday by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ??" 7 (DENR-7).

The owl's scientific name is Ninox rumseyi, and is found in remaining forest patches in Alcoy, Cebu and barangay Tabunan of Cebu City, all part of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL), said DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo.

More Nature

1. The Philippine crocodile, Crocodylus mindorensis, also known as the Mindoro crocodile or the Philippine freshwater crocodile, is one of two species of crocodile that are found in the Philippines, the other is the larger Indo-Pacific crocodile or saltwater crocodile. The Philippine crocodile, the species endemic only to the country, became data deficient to critically endangered in 2008 from exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods, such as dynamite fishing.